George Clooney, Jerry Seinfeld, And More Stars Pay Tribute To Carl Reiner

Hollywood took to social media on Tuesday to mourn the death of actor, director and comedian Carl Reiner who died on Monday (June 29) at the age of 98. Reiner passed away at his Beverley Hills home surrounded by his family.

Reiner was best known for creating The Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s. He also starred in movies such The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, Ocean's Eleven and its two sequels.

Carl with his son Rob Reiner.

"Last night my dad passed away," tweeted his son, Misery director Rob Reiner, on Tuesday. "As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light."

George Clooney, who starred alongside Reiner in the Ocean's franchise, paid tribute to the actor in a statement on Tuesday: "Carl Reiner made every room he walked into funnier, smarter, kinder. It all seemed so effortless. What an incredible gift he gave us all. His was a life well lived and we’re all the better for it. Rest in peace my friend."

Carl Reiner and George Clooney in Ocean's Thirteen

Ben Stiller called Reiner “a comedic giant, one of the smartest comedy minds ever”, while William Shatner, who only worked with the multiple Emmy Award winner briefly on one episode of legal drama Boston Legal, said he was “a master of his craft”.

“Condolences to the family of Carl Reiner. From the writers room of Sid Caesar to recreating those times for the Dick Van Dyke show, Carl was a master at his craft. I knew him only peripherally but it was a pleasure to have known him,” he tweeted.

Reiner's best friend Mel Brooks took to Twitter to share how they met and bonded while working on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows: "I met him in 1950 when he joined Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows and we’ve been best friends ever since. I loved him. When we were doing The 2000 Year Old Man together there was no better straight man in the world. So whether he wrote or performed or he was just your best friend — nobody could do it better.”

Dick Van Dyke wrote: "My idol, Carl Reiner, wrote about the human comedy. He had a deeper understanding of the human condition, than I think even he was aware of. Kind, gentle, compassionate, empathetic and wise. His scripts were never just funny, they always had something to say about us."

Steve Martin, who starred in the Reiner-directed film The Jerk, said goodbye “to my best mentor in motion pictures and in life", and Jerry Seinfeld shared this sweet message to the late actor.

Reiner — whose career spanned seven decades — recently lent his voice to Toy Story 4 and directed 15 movies during his career, including The Jerk and The Man with Two Brains.

He also received a Grammy and nine Emmy Awards.

Carl and his son Rob became the first father / son duo to have their footprints and handprints immortalised in front of Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre.

Reiner had been widowed since the death of his partner Estelle Lebost, 94, in 2008.

The pair had three children together — Rob, author Annie, and actor Lucas — and had six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren

Reiner was still active on social media prior to his death, posting about how happy he was with his life.

He wrote: "Nothing pleases me more than knowing that I have lived the best life possible by having met & marrying the gifted Estelle (Stella) Lebost - who partnered with me in bringing Rob, Annie & Lucas Reiner into this needy & evolving world."